Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugten

A Mystery/Thriller, 2010 by Mira, 393 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

• This book came out in 2010. Yellow pages were GONE by then. iPhones didn’t flip (they never did). Everyone knew about GPS and Google was commonplace. Those inconsistencies drove me right out of the book every time they came up.
• This MC is infuriating at the beginning of the book (ok for most of the book). We’re not talking do-anything-for-your-son, it goes further than that. Weird to have a lawyer with no regard for law and a bit frustrating at times.
• Content Warning: Blood, violence, child abuse, and controversial treatment of mental illness discussed. Specifically, be wary of Chapter Forty-One, which a few readers have said went a step too far. 

What I Did Like:

• It is a solid mystery. You’re sucked in by that first page and spend the book chasing clues trying to figure out what really happened. 
• The courtroom stuff is so fast-paced and edge-of-your-seat that it makes the entire book worth the ride. Excellent reveal and drama! 
• I enjoy an unreliable main character and this one took me on a roller coaster ride. You’ll doubt everything in a good way. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Dark and twisted thriller fans who want to be shocked.

My Rating: 4 Stars

• This one was a bit hard to rate because the beginning had a few issues for me. But, ultimately, this one was written to surprise and shock mystery/thriller readers and it does exactly that.